Alternate Ending: Different Than You Think
by Aiden Ravelle
Summary: This is what would have happened if Joker succeeded in Chapter 2 of Different Than You Think. Batjokes fic
1. Bruce

Ok, this is my alt ending to my story Different Than You Think. I don't know why but I just wanted to do another version.. The first is probably better. Anyway, (Spoilers) this could be read on its own, but it's better if you read ch 1 of different than you think and most of chapter 2. Instead of joker living, Batman is too late to save him from his suicide attempt.

I do not own characters, and I hope you enjoy and review. Thanks

I worry it's too late. I run in the door and the only thing in the room is Joker hanging and a chair. He was still. I must be too late. I lift him and untie the rope. I check his pulse and it's not there. I pump his chest and try to perform CPR. I'm at it for at least an hour, but his heart just wont come back to life. I just lose it. I rarely cry, but here I am, in an abandoned building, in a batsuit, crying over my love.

I put my lips on his, getting the kiss I've always wanted, but can now never be returned.

"Batman?" I hear Robin through the communicator.

"I'm here," I reply, trying to pull myself together.

"Where are you? You left to stop a robbery hours ago," he sounded worried.

"I'm fine. I'll be home soon," I will go home, but I lie about the fine part.

I decide it's time to go, I should let someone know Joker died. I take his body to the GCPD. Gordon probably won't be there right now, so I decide to just take him to Gordon's office. He's the only one who really accepts that I try to help, and honestly, most others would think I went off and killed him if they saw me bring in the body, so I'll just let Gordon find it when he comes in.

"Goodbye Joker," I whisper as I leave out the window.


	2. Robin

Bruce came home that day quiet and resigned. I pestered him to get an answer but he kept saying nothing happened.

The next morning we were in the kitchen eating breakfast with the television on.

"The Joker was found dead inside Commissioner Gordon's office. It is unclear as to how he died. More will be released once an autopsy has been completed," Vicky Vale announced.

I looked at Bruce, he seemed unfazed and distant.

"Bruce, did you know about that? Did you have something to do with it?" I asked.

He stood up, threw a piece of paper on the table and walked out.

It was the letter from Joker. Alfred and I read it over and over. We had always guessed that his obsession with the Joker was more than just a hero catching a criminal but we never thought the Joker would have reciprocated. Now we know he did and we pieced together the rest of the story.

Bruce Wayne slowly became less public, and eventually never went out. Batman still prowled the streets at night but even that declined. He blocked off even more of the world when Alfred passed away.

When he could no longer fight, I helped take care of Gotham, while he became even more of a recluse.

I know he felt he could have prevented Jokers death if he had been more honest with himself and to Joker. I know he wishes he could have gotten there faster to have saved him. I know Joker consumed his thoughts most of the time the rest of his life.

Bruce was a great man, and he will be greatly missed.


	3. Bruce again

I awoke in an unfamiliar place. It was a bit brighter than I was used to. I wasn't in the manor anymore. After a while, I notice I am in a cave. 

"Master Bruce, you have arrived!" Alfred says as he comes out of the cave wall.

"Alfred, where am I? Am I on drugs?" I ask. Alfred, was dead, he just phased through a wall, I have to be dreaming or on drugs.

"No Master Bruce, I regret to inform you that you have passed on," he says quietly.

"Wait," I think for a minute, "I am dead?"

"Yes, Bruce," he says.

"Where are we? Heaven?" I wonder.

"There is no real heaven or hell, there is just an afterlife. We cannot die from this life, but it is similar to earth, with both bad and good all around," he replies.

After taking this information in, it sinks in, I can see those who I've lost, "Joker?" I ask to Alfred.

"I'm sure he is around here somewhere. As are your parents," he says, "I can take you to them, if you like."

"Alfred, you more than anyone else knows how much I would love to see them, but may I take care of something first?" I know my parents are happy to be together, I know I have all the time in the universe to visit them. I want to tell Joker the truth.

"Go, find him, you can come back to us later," he said with understanding.

"Alfred, how will I know where to go?" I ask.

"Just follow your heart Master Bruce. That's how you find anything you want here."

I get up and start walking forward, I end up getting to a wall and stopping. I slowly touch my hand up to the wall and it goes through. I continue on walking right through the wall. I find I'm on a road and as I'm walking there are some buildings nearby. The road leads me to a building. I walk in and find that it looks similar to the building we met in. I find him, in a corner, all balled up and alone.

"Joker?" I ask as I sit down next to him.

He looks up, "Ahh Bats, you've died."

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here? Wondering if I've been causing trouble in the afterlife? Well, I haven't. I haven't left this corner and no one has been here," he said annoyed.

"I'm not here for that. I'm here to talk," I say calmly.

"About what? That it was wrong to kill myself? That it was better that I did, less people getting hurt? That my letter disgusted you?"

"No, I just wanted to say, I love you."

His face looked shocked, "Bats? You love me?"

"Yes. I couldn't get to you in time, and I tried, for a long time to save you, but I just couldn't. I pretty much shut down after that. Batman went out at night, but Bruce Wayne never left his mansion. It was really hard to pull myself out of bed to do anything, but I had to protect Gotham," I admitted.

"I didn't realize…" Joker trailed off. After a minute he started up again, "I didn't think you'd like men, and even if you did, I didn't think you'd like me."

"I knew who you were, and I'm sorry I had hurt you at the restaurant. I never meant to. I thought you were beautiful the first time I saw you. I realized you were the Joker and I thought you beautiful then too. I never thought you'd like me. I thought you were with Harley," I confessed.

"What are we going to do?"

"We have forever now, all the time in the world, we could start over and maybe try going on a date," I think outloud.

"I'd like that Bats."

I stand up and offer him a hand up. He says, "You know, I haven't left this corner since I died. Someone walked in here once and explained the place to me, but there's nothing to really steal, we don't need to eat, and we can't die, so there's no point in trying to kill. I thought it would be less depressing here than earth, that's why I killed myself. It's just as bad here, except I can't hurt others, which I guess is good."

"I'm sorry you had no one here to talk to. A few of the Rogues have died, I'm sure we could find them if you'd like."

"Maybe, I don't think they liked me very well," he said sadly.

"I know a few people who will like you, care to meet them?" I asked kindly. He nodded in return. I take his hand and lead him out of the building. We walk down the road, still holding hands when we appear at a mansion. It looks like Wayne Manor, so this must be the place. We walk in the front door, even though we don't really need doors. "Hello?" I ask.

"Bruce?" I hear a woman say. Three people emerge from different rooms.

"Oh Bruce, welcome home," my mother says. She looks like she did when she died, you know, minus a bullet wound and blood.

"Welcome home Bruce. Alfred has told us all about your life, about your ward, about becoming a hero for Gotham. We are so proud of you," my father said.

Joker and I had stopped holding hands when we walked in. He was a little bit further behind me, so I went back to him and smiled assuredly as I put my hand behind his waist, "Mom, Dad, Alfred, this is Joker."

"Welcome to our home Mr. Joker. We've heard a lot of great things about you," My mother said holding a hand out to shake his.

He held his hand out to meet with hers. They shook hands and then he shook hands with my father.

"Master Joker, I am Alfred, the Wayne butler," Alfred said bowing his head, not offering to shake.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Joker said quietly. I knew how awkward this was for him, but I knew we could get through it.

Alfred and I caught up on what had happened since he died. My parents and I got to know each other better. And Joker and I grew closer and eventually he was back to his old self, not the depressed Joker from before. We all lived in Wayne Manor, and eventually when Dick passed, he and his family came and lived here too. I was glad to know that we could all be happy, Dick and I with our parents, Alfred with his, but still close enough with us that he stayed with us, and Joker and I with the love we shared. It was going to be a great eternity.


End file.
